The invention relates to a micro-valve arrangement comprising a micro-valve which has a housing produced in by a micro-structuring method, such housing having two mutually opposite housing layers, between which a valve chamber is defined, in which a diaphragm- or plate-like valve member is located, at least one of the two housing layers having at least one fluid duct extending therein, such duct opening opposite to the valve member at a port, in controlling cooperation with the valve member, into the valve chamber, and an electrical actuator for presetting the relative position of the valve member in relation to the duct port.
A micro-valve arrangement of this type is for example disclosed in the European patent publication 0 485 739 A1.
It comprises a micro-valve with a multi-layer housing, which is produced by a micro-structuring method. A valve member, whose structure is produced from a middle layer housing layer, is located in a valve chamber defined between two further housing layers and may be operated with the aid of an electrostatic actuator. In at least one of the outer housing layers a fluid duct extends, which so opens into the valve chamber that its duct port is opposite to the valve member. By means of the actuator the valve member can be shifted between a closed position covering the duct port and an open position clear of the duct port in which it is at a greater distance from the duct port.
For many applications of micro-valves it would be convenient to obtain information as regards the current position of switching and consequently the current position of the valve member. Although it would in principle be possible to find the position of switching of the micro-valve on the basis of the state of operation of the actuator, in the event of possible improper functioning of the micro-valve there is no guarantee that the state of the operation of the actuator and the state of switching of the valve member do in fact comply with one another. Although it would be feasible to provide for direct detection of the position of the valve member with the aid of a sensor arranged externally on the housing, this would generally be likely to prevent designs with a extremely small overall size of the micro-valve.